Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by severe and progressive scarring (fibrosis) of lung tissue. Many people live only about 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, and death is mainly due to respiratory failure. Approximately 70,000 patients in the United States and the European Union suffer from IPF. No effective cure exists except lung transplantation, for which less than 1% of patients qualify. Hence, there remains a significant need for new, clinically efficacious IPF therapeutics which can effectively inhibit or reduce lung fibrosis in patients.
Several growth factors are implicated in the pathogenesis of IPF. Of these growth factors, Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) appears to be implicated in the transformation of multiple cell types into myofibroblasts and impairs important antifibrotic and proregenerative repair factors. CTGF levels are elevated in plasma, in transbronchial biopsy specimens, and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of IPF patients.
Thus, there is a need for new and improved therapeutics targeting CTGF for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.